Helix graduate slugs his way into the Biola University baseball record book

James Whitman, a burly 6’6″ 250-pound right-handed hitter out of Helix Charter High School, doesn’t see many fastballs.

But with one out in the bottom of the first inning of the second game of Biola University’s opening-day doubleheader against Regis on Jan. 30, the senior first baseman, took a first-pitch fastball on the outer half of the plate from left-handed freshman pitcher Ryan Chesser and sent it over the fence in right-center, driving in fellow San Diegan Adiel Torres, who had doubled to reach second.

“He’s always been a big, strong kid,” said Biola Head Baseball Coach Jesse Rodgers, who thought off the bat it would be a double before it carried out of the park. “He knows that planning to hit the ball to the middle or the other way is the best way to attack off-speed pitches. Pitchers usually try soft away to get him to chase, and every once in a while, they’ll throw a fastball in. He’s committed to being on time for it and also being stubborn about his game plan.”

The home run, Whitman’s 31st collegiate, set a Biola program record for their NCAA Division II era.

“It’s just nice to get that home run out of the way in the first weekend, so now I can build off of that and have a great senior campaign,” said Whitman, a Spring Valley native. “I try to understand how pitchers are going to pitch me. They’re going to try to get ahead; the best pitch is strike one. I wasn’t really surprised by the fastball; I was just excited that I got one.”

Whitman hit 14 home runs last year, just one shy of the Biola program’s single-season record. He hit 12 as a sophomore and four as a freshman.

A career .317 hitter, his disciplined approach at the plate has translated into 50 career walks and 31 hit-by-pitches.

“I don’t keep track of everything, but we have a board in our locker room with all the records,” Whitman said. “After last year’s campaign, they updated it, and I was like, wow, I’m really close on a lot of these records. It’s in the back of my mind this season, but I’m not trying to chase them. I’m just trying to do what I do every day.”

Putting in the work every day

“He’s meant a ton to our program,” Rodgers said. “He’s gone from a power, all-or-nothing guy to someone who can hit line drives and score runs. A lot of it comes down to the work he’s put in every day.”

Whitman remembers his first home run, hit as an eight-year-old playing Little League at Valley De Oro, after his mom encouraged him to play.

“I still have that bat to this day,” Whitman said. “I felt like that was the major milestone that started my entire love for the game and the profession I’m pursuing with baseball. It reminds me of how much fun I had as a kid, before any outside stress in life.”

Whitman graduated from Helix in 2022, having played three varsity seasons, earned all-league honors, and secured a spot on the San Diego High School All-Star Team (East).

After college, Whitman said he plans to pursue professional baseball.

“Whether that’s going into the draft, playing indie ball, or whatever, the main goal is to play baseball as long as possible,” he said.